Connecter for two-part automobile doors



"Filed Deo. so. 1921 Paa' 1 2, 1924.

n 148351809' lJlll'lF-fl)v STATES PATENT Orifice.

xAr'rnE'w R. HULL, or CoNNERsvILLE, INDIANA, as'sIGNon. 'ro anx xANUrAC'rt-m- ING COMPANY; or CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA, A CORPOMJLION.v

'CONNECTER :ron Two-raar AUTOMOBILE noone.`

To all whom it may cime/ern:

Be it known that I, MA'rrHnw R. HULL, a citizen;ofjthe'United- States; residingat .Comiersvillj'a in` the county of Fayette and State o'f Indiana,-`have invented certain new and j fusefiil Improvements in Connectors for TWofPart Automobiler .Doors of which the Ifollo'vsiiiigg'isaspecitication, -7 This 'nvention` relates tozan v automobile body ydoor;particularly that type' of 'door incluidos` the Alower' door sectioxf of .v fa permanent'automobile body and an upp'er cbmplexnentarysectiom] the latter. section forming a' pal-tof 'an independently fabril cated.: enclosed top;which .is superimposed Pon -bodyL- In this type of doorconstruction `ithasbee'n found difficult' to keep theed e offthe, upper oomplemetary'section of t e door in contactfwiththe external wall of *.tlletop, when the door is closed, by reason Ofithex'ppen joint remaining between the twg; connected door sections which may impair vthe desredsrigidity,I as obtains in the solid 'typeof'doOr construction, thereby pervmitting the upper l section of the door to stand away from the adjacent externai wall,

off'the top' tol induce noise and rattle, be-

sides impairing the desired symmetrical zippearance ofthe top structure, so characteristie in the rigid types of limousine and sedan body constructions.

One of the objects of the present invention consists in the provision of certain means whereby a stress is constantly im posed on the upper complementary vdoor section to hold the latter at all times into contact with the adjacent external wall of the top, when the door is closed, and -thus prevent vibration and rattle of the parts,

I accomplish the above object. of the invention, and such others as may appear from a perusalof the following description'and Claims, by means o the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which Figure 1l isa fragmentary detail sectional dview of the forward portion of an open type automobile body, having a detachable top superimposed thereon, and Ishowing my improved tension-connecter attached to the two sections of the door. Fig. 2 is a view partly in section' and partly in elevation, on the plane 2-2 in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, on the plane the rim of an openftype of automobile Application aieaneccmber ao, 1921. serial No. 525,927.

3-3 in Fig. 1. Fi .4iso rs ctive view of the tensionfcgonnecter sli)e pe pendently of the other parts. Fig. 5 is an end view of the construction vshown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view in elevation of the base plate foranchoring the own ,indes l tension-connecter to' thelower and pernlanent section of the door. Fig. 7 is a cross,

sectional view, onthe plane Fig. 6."

`:Referring 4to the ,drawings-gf 10 re 'recents a conventional type'foautomob e. body. construction; 11 a' permanent dooraectom' 12 a separately" fabricated top having'a. deck 13 which issuperi-m sed upon the rim l of the open body 10,-an 14 the u per door section-fwhieh constitutes a comp ementaify part of the removable top 12. To '12'1s @provided along its `inner side wa ls land immediately below deckl 13.- with' certain reinforcing rails 15 which `in addition to.4 ,Strength and rigidatorehef m); e

addin provi e the means .for attac ng the ei panels 16-Of the to and alsostops against.

divided door construction the vibration of the vehicle may develop sufiicient looseness between the two sections of a door'and thus permit the upper door section 14 to spring away from thevchicl body 'and amate rattle of the parts, besides imp'airing' the f fym.

inetrical external appearance desired-m a,

composite structure, which is so cl1a.1'acte1:'4

istie of the solid built types of limousine and sedan constructions.

These above mentioned beneficial advantages and resultsl attain by means of a connecter which jcom'prises, preferably,l a resilientvrod 20, havin its ends flattened and bent at right ang es-but in Aoppositqdirectionsto its .body

rtion to form the attachment feet 21 an 22. -In o rative position the main bodyof rod 20 is ispoeed and supported `horizontally in a plane slightly above the upper rim of body 10 by ica means Of a loo 24 which permanently atinserted into a socket 27 in the u per edge or rim of body 10, so that whi e rod 20 is thus securely anchored to both sections of the door it may easily be disengaged from the lower door section 11 when it is desired toremove the upper door section 14, for summer driving. The vertical foot 21, of rod 20, normally rests against the inner surface of the frame of upper `door section 14 by passing foot 21 -through suitable loops 28 carried bys'the upper door section 14 and then permanently securing the foot to the door section by means of a screw 29. Loops 28 enable the upper door section 14 to be vertically adjusted to fit into the desired o ening, which is of considerable importance cause it enables a user, to

-whom the top is shipped, to readily make all necessary adjustments and thereby realize the full benefitsof thearticle urchased. ,When the material forming oor .section 14 is of less thickness .than 'the permanent door section 11, as shown in Fig. 2, rod 20 may bent,.as at 20, to form the necessary reach for extending therod over anddown along the inner side wall offsaid .lower door section 11. Foot 22 is detachably secured .to the lower door sec- -tion 11 by means'of a bolt 30, as cleaxrlly Q" steady rod 20'y and still enable it to beeasly.. disconnectedl fromv the lower door section# shown in Fig. 1 "of the drawings.

11, whelifit' is desired to remove the upper door section 14, I insert. foot 22 into a snugly ttin ch'annel 31 formed in a base plate 32 whic is securely bolted to the inner face of the lower door section 11, and the foot 22 is held within the channel of said base plate by a bolt 30.

By means of this construction foot 22 is securely held in operative position between.

. ribs 33, forming channel 31, and may readily. be detached, bythe loosening of bolt 30, As

will be observed in the edge` View, Fig. 5, the face lof foot 21 is initially formed to coincide with the perpendicular, whereas the face of foot 22'is inclined towards' the surface plane of the face of foot 21. When it is desired to attach the foot 22 to door sec tion 11 said foot is sprung inwardly until its face rests against the bottom of channel 31 in .base plate 32. This eniorced movei ment of foot 22 develops a twist or torque forcing-rail 15 and thisedge will be more.v tightly pressed against said rail and' there-V in the resilient body portion. of rod 20, and the reactive forces thusset n in'rod -20 are exerted against the upper o'or section 14 and hold it tightly. against the adjacent' external wall of top 12 to prevent noise and rattle. Hence, in the vact of closing thel door,

the edge of the upper' door section 14 will.

be the first to come intocontact with rein-- .by increase the tor ue in rod 20 as thev closing movement of t e door continues,

By means of-vthe herein described con- ,struction it will be readily comprehended Having thus fully described my said in.- l '76 vention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-A 1. In a door for automobiles, a permanent lower door section, a removable upper door section, a connecter carried bythe upper section having a resilient body approximately parallel to the meeting edges of thesections and having its ends bent oppositely means for securingone end and the bod 'of the connecter permanently to the up r section, a pivoted post de nding im the bod neansaid end adapte to enter a socket in t e lower door section, a guide plate on the lower door section, and means'for detachably securing the otherend' of the connecter thereto so as totilt the upper door section toward the lbody whereby a rognessively increasing torque is induced) in the lbody of the connecter .when the edge of the door section engages the top of the auto body during the closing movement of the door, substantially as set forth. y i

42. In a door for automobiles, a permanent vlower door section, a removable uplper door section', a connecter carried by 4t e upper door section having a resilient body approximately parallel to the meeting edges of the sections and having its ends bent oppositely," and means ,for securing one end to the u per door section and the other end to t e lower door section near opposite vertical edges of the respective sectionsso as to tilt T"the upper door section toward the body whereby a progressively increasing torque is induced in the body of the connecter when the edge ofthe upper door section enga i the top' of the auto body during the closing oor movement of the door, substantially as set u forth.' l, 3. In a door forautomobiles, a permanent' lower door section, a removable upper door section, a cor4 eter carried bythe upper section having a body approximately equal in length to the width of the door 'and approximately parallel to the meeting edges of the door sections the ends of the connecter', bemg'bent in opposite directions, 'and means for securing the connecter Apermanently to A the, upper section and detwchably to the nlower section, substantially v.as setforth4 4.' Ina door lfor automobiles, a. permanent' lower door section, a removable upper door.

section, and a connectertherefor comprising a' resilient rod bent between its ends to form angularly related parts l ing'l in the same plane 'and having its en s bent to extend unf ...l-r' i respectively up and down approximately' body extending adjacent to the dividing linel between said sections, an arm -for connection to the upper section at its rear end, ,an arm for connection to the lower section at its front end said arms being inclined laterally out of parallel relation whereby the upper door section is normally tilted inwardly, and brackets journalin the body near its ends extending oppositelv respective arms adjacent thereto and secured to the other door section from such adjacent arms, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I, have hereunto set my hand and seal at Connersville, Indiana, 20

this 22nd day of December, A. D., one thousand nine hundredA and twentyone.

MATTHEW R. HULL from the 15 

